


clash of hearts

by kinneyb



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M, Suki is a good supportive friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25977265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: The first time Sokka approached him and asked if he wanted to spar, Zuko was only mildly surprised. He knew Sokka didn’t have many other options if he wanted to practice his sword, surrounded by benders, but he was still slightly surprised to know he would go out of his way to ask him. It wasn’t like they were friends.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 340





	clash of hearts

**Author's Note:**

> written for one of my supporters! hope u all enjoy <3
> 
> twitter: queermight / tumblr: korrmin

The first time Sokka approached him and asked if he wanted to spar, Zuko was only mildly surprised. He knew Sokka didn’t have many other options if he wanted to practice his sword, surrounded by benders, but he was still slightly surprised to know he would go out of his way to ask him. It wasn’t like they were _friends_.

Yet, at least. He knew he had a long road ahead of him.

“Don’t you think it’s kind of unfair?” Sokka was saying as they walked away from their campsite, searching for a good spot, clear and wide.

Zuko looked over at him, waiting patiently, knowing he would specify even if he didn’t ask. One thing he enjoyed about Sokka was how he didn’t need to talk much when he was with him. He happily and expertly carried the conversation while Zuko was allowed to just listen, nodding and answering at the right pauses.

“Like, you can bend fire — literal fire — _and_ you’re good with swords? Not one,” Sokka said, a finger in the air. “But _two_. Sword _s_. That is just unfair.”

Zuko blinked, not expecting that. He looked away just as his lips twitched, a quirk of his mouth that betrayed his amusement. “You can’t rely solely on bending,” he said finally, and he was surprised by how much he meant it.

He felt Sokka’s eyes on him, intent and surprised. Zuko cleared his throat.

“When I was, uh, in hiding,” he continued, “I couldn’t bend, not without making a mess of things. I had to find a new way to protect and defend myself, and frankly — ” He shrugged, pulling his swords out, admiring the glint of the blades under the sun. “I found myself enjoying it. Them.” He turned his swords slowly. “I might’ve never known that, if I hadn’t been forced to use them. We — benders,” he specified with a tilt of his head, “I think we can become too reliant on it. Thinking we’ll always have it, but I think you can never know that for certain.”

He looked up just as they stumbled through some trees, finding the perfect spot for a few rounds of sparring. He wondered if Sokka had known it was there.

“Well,” he said, turning toward the other boy. “Ready?”

He noticed the odd tilt of his mouth, and immediately wondered if he had said something wrong.

“What?” he asked, surprised by the heavy thump of his own heart.

But Sokka just smiled — really, he had the dorkiest smile, Zuko thought with an unexpected fondness — and reached for his own sword, unsheathing it. The blade was beautiful and black. “I just think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say at once,” he explained with a shrug. Zuko could tell that wasn’t all. Sokka bit the inside of his cheek. “And, uh, I’m not sure most benders would think of that."

He didn’t gesture, or say their names, but Zuko knew who he was referencing: Aang, Katara, Toph. At least there was Suki, he supposed, a person that had been there for Sokka for far longer.

“Like, what they would do without their power,” he continued, scratching the back of his neck. “I guess they don’t have a reason to,” he added, lips twisting in the start of a frown.

As much as Sokka put on a mask, always trying to be _chipper_ and the _one with the jokes,_ something Zuko was familiar with, he was also fairly easy to read, open and generous with his feelings. Almost to a fault, he thought. People could use that against him.

But Zuko wasn’t like that, not now. He would never use that against Sokka. Or anyone.

“Come on,” he prodded gently, a little stiff. “Don’t you want to show me what you can do?”

As if lighting a candle, Sokka’s entire demeanor shifted, eyes brightening. “You will regret challenging me,” he said loftily, raising his sword and tilting his head back.

Zuko let out a small cackle, unable to help himself. Sokka had that way about him, always making him feel — comfortable to just _be_. It was weird, really, thinking back to how Sokka had hated him so viciously — _before_. And now he was staring at him with no fear, no hatred, just amusement and _fondness,_ the way he stared at the others. Zuko’s heart squeezed almost painfully in his chest. He was both thankful to have that and slowly realizing he selfishly wanted _more_.

“You challenged me,” he reminded him, and Sokka rolled his eyes.

“Details, details,” he said, flapping his hand back and forth in the air. “Less talking, more swords.”

Zuko nodded, rushing forward without missing a beat, swords lifted. The first clash was deafening in the quiet forest. Sokka was fast on his feet, twisting to the side and out of the way of Zuko’s swords before bringing his own sword down.

Zuko was even quicker, blocking the swing of Sokka’s sword with his own. Stuck like that, they stared at each other. Barely the start and already a bit of sweat was gathered at Sokka’s hairline. Zuko wondered if he looked much the same.

Suddenly Sokka jumped back, a blur of movement, and Zuko barely blocked his next attack from the left.

He breathed out, something like a laugh, as their swords slid together with a terrible sound. “You really know your way around a sword,” he said, and Sokka’s bright-eyed laugh would totally be worth the teasing later.

“And they say you don’t have a sense of humor,” he replied as they danced away from each other and surged back together with a _clank._ A wild grin was on Sokka’s face that made Zuko’s insides feel like they were on fire. “I beg to differ.”

Zuko laughed again, feeling the lightest he had in years, and all because of the dark-skinned boy sparring with him. He knew what that meant — he wasn’t an idiot — but he would have to think more about that later. Right now he needed to focus or risk getting his arm accidentally sliced off. Sokka really _was_ good with a sword.

“You know,” Zuko said, jumping back, “I bet I could take you down instantly if we got rid of these.”

He waved his swords in the air, and Sokka blinked once, expression blank, before he was grinning again.

“Now you _are_ the one challenging me,” he said. “Better not regret it.”

Zuko tossed his swords, a bit careless. He watched, smiling privately to himself, as Sokka walked over and sheathed his own sword before gently placing it aside. When he returned, still sweaty and grinning, Zuko was admittedly distracted by the sight. Sokka broke him out of it by moving, crouching down, legs slightly spread.

He mimicked the position.

“Don’t worry,” Sokka said with that same grin. “I’ll go easy on ‘ya.” Zuko snorted, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but apparently he wasn’t finished just yet: “Wouldn’t want to damage that pretty face.”

Zuko blinked, genuinely not expecting _that_. He had to wonder — later — if Sokka knew exactly what he was doing, and if maybe he knew about his feelings, as he rushed forward and tackled him with his full weight. He staggered, not at his best, and they both went tumbling, rolling in the dirt before finally stopping.

He groaned, back throbbing, as he opened his eyes. His heart stilled in his chest.

Sokka was on top of him, looking like something out of — _something_. One of his most shameful fantasies, probably. His hair had fallen down, loose around his face, cheeks scuffed in a way that just made him look _more_ attractive, somehow, talk about _unfair._ His eyes, usually so clear and bright, were narrowed and dark.

“I can’t say I know who won this round,” Zuko said finally, slowly, treading as lightly as he could while his heart started to beat again, fast and unsteady.

Sokka patted his cheek, and it was like fire on his ice. If he didn’t know better, he would certainly think Sokka had unearthed waterbending abilities. “I think we both did,” he said with a tilt of his voice that Zuko had heard before — from Mai, mostly, when they were still a _thing_. Which they weren’t, now, and Sokka had ended things with Suki — on good terms, thankfully — so, _really_ , there was nothing stopping them from —

Zuko’s eyes flickered to Sokka’s lips, and Sokka smiled just a little, leaning down —

“Found ‘em!”

Zuko startled violently, sitting up with enough force that Sokka slid off him and landed in the dirt with a _huff_. Over his shoulder he saw the trees part and a pair of familiar faces — Katara and Aang followed shortly by Toph and Suki. Even knowing they were no longer together, he felt a pang of guilt at seeing her, knowing what they were about to do.

“You can’t just sneak off without telling us!”

Zuko looked over just in time to see Katara smack her brother’s arm. He saw the worry in her eyes.

“We were just sparring,” Sokka whined, and Toph snorted from off to the side.

“ _Sparring_ , right,” she drawled, and Zuko was sure his good side was flushed red. Thankfully the comment seemed to fly over most of them. Except — Suki, who was watching him with an amused quirk to her mouth and okay, his guilt might’ve been unfounded, somewhat. He would need to talk to her about it. Later.

And while he wouldn't talk to her for a few days more, _or_ Sokka for that matter, he _would_ overhear her conversation with Sokka later that night as they were all sitting around the fire, eating supper as a group:

“I guess you could do a lot worse,” she said with a shrug, hushed enough not to be heard by the others.

Sokka choked on his bite, swallowing. “ _Suki_ ,” he hissed, eyes flickering to Zuko, who was smart enough to swiftly turn his head away. “We’re not even — ” He paused for a long length of time. “You know.”

“ _Yet_ ,” she said, and he could practically hear the grin in her voice: “Just keep _sparring_ and I’m sure you’ll get there.”


End file.
